BGU | PRESIDENT'S REPORT 2022

FAREWELL TO DAVID BAREKET A LEADER POWERED BY PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE Later this summer we bid farewell to our long-serving Vice President and Director-General, David Bareket, who has led from behind the scenes in a life devoted to the greater good.

the North Campus, and maintaining a balanced budget that provides the funding necessary for teaching and research – from physical spaces and multimillion dollar lab equipment to paperclips. Bareket has lived a life of service from the days of his mandatory military service as a combat pilot in the Israeli Air Force. In fact, for most of his military service he was stationed at the Hatzerim air force base, just outside of Beer-Sheva. His experience as an air force officer has likely shaped how he sees his role today: "We are like the army quartermaster; our job is to support the frontlines of research and teaching; to help deans, department heads, and researchers succeed – within the limits of the resources at our disposal."

When David Bareket joined the staff of BGU as a comptroller in 1989, the University had just experienced its worst financial crisis ever. The fledgling university had just 6,000 students and resources were scarce. Thirty odd years later, BGU has tripled its enrollment and is the most financially secure institution of higher education in the country, thanks in no small part to his careful stewardship. During his more than three decades at BGU, Bareket has been guided by two main principles: putting the right people in the right positions; and details matter. As director-general, his purview extends from ensuring the smooth operation of everything from groundskeeping to the most advanced IT systems, to overseeing large-scale long-term projects like

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Ben-Gurion University of the Negev